The Phantom Manor
by Wile E. Coyote
Summary: Based on Phantom Manor. Ch6 up. Zeke, Leota and the others search the mines for Melanie, but end up going on a rollercoaster of a ride. Rated T for mild violence, spooky situations and death.
1. The History of the Haunts

Here is the beginning of my Phantom Manor story. All characters, except several, are copyright of Walt Disney, who this fanfic is dedicated too.

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

_Non Omnis Moriar_

That's what is says on the plaque of the old house. The Ravenswood Manor. An old and dark presence roams freely around this abandoned house. The windows are cracked and broken, dark on the inside. The shutters swing wildly and hang from their hinges. Tiles from the house roof have fallen off and the paintwork needs serious refurbishing. The wind wraps itself around the dead oak trees that lay on the manor's overgrown lawn, as if reaching out at something. The front gates are locked up tightly and no one is in sight. But although this place is horribly deserted, a sad story lies behind it. Beauty once lived in this house. This house is The Phantom Manor!

* * *

**Chapter 1: The History of the Haunts**

A full moon shone dimly above the ghost town of Thunder Mesa, dark clouds flying by, a large cloud moved by, blocking out the moon's rays. Three holes formed in the black cloud, making the cloud look like a ghostly head. The cloud soon vanished into the black sky.

Thunder Mesa was once a thriving western town which had its own mining company, which took place on the massive Big Thunder Mountain. Once large boats sailed around the Thunder Lake, but now it was a horrific swampy lake, populated by millions of dead fish.

But the topping of the cake, was the run-down house that stood gloomily at the top of the hill at the north of the ghost town. It was a Victorian-styled house. The manor was three stories high, the house made mostly of wood and copper. The paintwork needed refurbishing and tiles from the roof had been blown away by the strong wind. Windows were black from the inside, but some were lighted by a dim glow, before going dark again. Shutters hung from their hinges and fluttered about in the wind. On top of the house was a lightning rod, which looked like it had been struck by lightning bolts many times.

A guardhouse with a bat carved onto the top stood outside the iron gates of the manor, which were locked shut. On a plaque on the wall read the words:

**P H A N T O M M A N O R **

**NON OMNIS MORIAR **

Out of the darkness came to dim bicycle lights. The lights owners then appeared, two teenage boys on a bicycle. One of them had a camera around his neck. The two placed their bikes on the ground and approached the dark gates.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked the first boy.

"Yeah, do you want the guys at school to think we're chicken?" replied the other boy.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bent paperclip. Carefully, he placed the paperclip in the lock that kept the gates shut and moved it about, until there was a sudden click. The lock fell to the ground and the chains binding the gates fell afterwards. The black gates then swung open by themselves, welcoming the two boys into the manor's grounds.

The two boys slowly entered, turning torches on and throwing them about, searching for any signs of movement. There were dead oak trees lying on the lawn and many broken statues stood on walls. The two boys then noticed a rusty gazebo standing on the lawn. It was a fading red in colour, the glass cracked and the door swinging open. The two boys looked inside it, hearing a soft melody. Within the gazebo was a wicker chair with a shawl on it. On a small table were a couple of teacups and a teapot. On another table was an old music box, which played a soft, but sad melody.

The boys moved on, passing a garden pavilion where some moldy statues stood with a sparkling water fountain.

On top of the manor, a black bird flew down from the sky and perched on the roof, a raven. It watched the two boys with red eyes.

The two boys arrived at the front doors and as if by magic, the two doors slowly opened by themselves, creaking loudly. The two boys looked at eachother and the braver one stepped into the house. The second boy followed. They were in a dark foyer room. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling. The wallpaper was red and torn. Hanging on the walls were two mirrors, one covered by red curtains, and it appeared misty within the glass. Standing beside a wall was an old suit of armour, an axe in its grip.

"Okay, we'll just take the picture and then we'll get out of here," said the first boy.

"Okay," replied the second boy.

But suddenly, the front doors slammed shut. The boys gasped and rushed over to the doors, pulling on the handles to try and open the doors.

"We're trapped!" cried the second boy.

Then, the suit of armour suddenly moved. Two glowing green eyes appeared in where the knight's face would have been. The boys swung around and saw the suit of armour lift up its axe. It suddenly charged at the boys. The boy with the camera took a snapshot of the knight, who swung his axe. Screams echoed throughout the house, and up in the attic window, a mysterious figure wearing a top hat and cloak stood. Lightning flashed outside as a sudden storm has appeared. A lightning bolt flashed across the window, revealing a quick glimpse of the man's face, a skull with yellow eyes. Then, a heart-throbbing cackle echoed across the land. But in the horrifying noises of screams, groans, moans and cackling, a beautiful melody could be heard, somewhere within the cursed walls of the Phantom Manor.

* * *

A black car rolled up to a tall skyscraper. Out of it stepped a young man in his 20's. He had black spiky hair and green eyes. He quickly dashed into the building.

* * *

"Zeke, I've got a very important case for you," said Mr. Goo.

"What have you got for me this time, sir?" asked Zeke.

Zeke was a supernatural detective, only most of the mysteries he'd dealt with were really just criminals dressed in monster suits. Zeke had a daughter named Hilary.

"Well this case is actually pretty close to you. It's the Ravenswood Manor," said Mr. Goo.

"What? My family heirloom which I've never visited before?" said Zeke. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well, people in Texas, where your heirloom is, say that the manor is haunted," said Mr. Goo.

"Haunted?" chuckled Zeke. "What stories have they told?"

"We've had reports of people seeing a young woman in bridal gown, a skeleton dressed in a top hat and cloak, floating candelabras, weird lights and noises coming from the windows of the house, and we even have a photo of what looks like a suit of armour attacking some kids.

Goo handed Zeke a blurred photo of what looked like a suit of armour swinging an axe.

"Did the kids make it out?" asked Zeke.

"We don't know. They went missing and haven't been seen," said Mr. Goo.

Goo reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a few papers that were stapled together.

"My wife looked on the internet for me last night, since I don't even know how to click a mouse on a computer, and printed out the history of your manor," said Mr. Goo, and handed the papers to Zeke, who read them carefully.

_Ravenswood Manor was built by Henry Ravenswood, the owner of the mining company in Thunder Mesa. He lived there with his wife Martha, and young daughter Melanie. Henry loved Melanie very much and would do anything for her. The day came when Melanie would have to choose a groom to marry. She fell in love with an old friend, Eric Plutocrat, a railroad worker who went to school with Melanie when they were younger._

_Several months before the wedding, an earthquake hit Thunder Mesa and Henry and Martha Ravenswood were killed. Melanie was heartbroken. But eventually, her grieving disappeared and her wedding day arrived. The guests arrived, the wedding was to take place in the grand ballroom, and Melanie arrived. But as she waited, a mysterious villain named The Phantom materialised in the manor and killed Eric, but hanging him with a noose from an attic rafter. Melanie then vowed from that day that she would wait in the manor, never taking off her bridal gown or taking the wedding decorations down, not until her groom returned. _

_Rumour has it that Melanie aged, still waiting for her groom, until she died in the wine cellar. Her soul wanders the halls of Ravenswood Manor, waiting for her love to return to her. As for The Phantom, people have seen him in the graveyard and attic window of the manor, laughing evilly. Many ghosts have been seen also. Rumour has it that the manor is not populated by 999 ghosts._

"Wow!" said Zeke, looking impressed. "I'll get on it right away."

"Good for you! Now, get this mayhem off my desk before I go insane!" said Mr. Goo.

"Yes sir," replied Zeke, and he stepped out of the office.

* * *

A school bell rang and millions of teenagers filed out of Louisiana High School. Among them was a blonde brunette girl, about 15 years old. She held hands with a tall brown-haired boy.

"I'll see you soon," said the boyfriend, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.

"Bye Luke," replied the girl and watched her boyfriend wander off into the crowd.

The girl made her way through the crowd and she spotted Zeke in his car waving at her.

"Hey Hilary, hurry up," called Zeke.

"Hi dad!" replied Hilary and got into the passenger seat beside her dad.

"How was school?" asked Zeke.

"Fine," said Hilary. "Got a new case?"

"This one is very interesting. Our family estate, Ravenswood Manor, is said to be haunted," replied Zeke. "I'm going over there tomorrow to sort things out. Do you want to come?"

"Well… Luke is going out of town, and I've got nothing better to do…so…okay," replied Hilary.

"Great!" cheered Zeke. "Now let's go home."

* * *

**Character Cards**

**Zeke Ravenswood: **A supernatural detective. After losing his wife to cancer, Zeke has worked around the clock, juggling his job and looking after his daughter, Hilary. Pretty soon, Zeke must travel to his ancestral home in Texas, to solve a supernatural case that involves his ancestor, Melanie Ravenswood, and a mysterious villain called The Phantom.

**Hilary Ravenswood: **Zeke's single daughter, Hilary is a popular girl in school and her boyfriend is named Luke. Hilary misses her dead mother deeply, but hides it from her dad. Hilary has a role to play in this story, but what it is yet is unknown.

**Mr. Goo: **Zeke's hot-headed boss. Goo is not skilled with a computer, but has a caring wife. He likes Zeke, but dislikes his wise cracks.


	2. The Stretching Gallery

Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom Manor, or any of its characters. I only own several characters. Phantom Manor is owned by Disney. This story is written in honour of Walt Disney, a man with dreams, and made them a reality.

I will introduce characters from the ride in this chapter, like The Phantom (voice) and Melanie. Others may be introduced.

Something I forgot to mention in the first chapter. This is not only a supernatural/romance fic, but also with a bit of humour. I have something planned that involves Ezra trying to bribe Zeke a train ticket. Zeke is named after the main character in the Haunted Mansion game.

After my first review from Aquarian Wolf (I still admire her work), I decided to change Zeke's age to 35, just to not confuse things. So if you read the first chapter and get confused, you'll understand in this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Stretching Gallery and the Mysterious Bride**

The following morning, Zeke and Hilary were on their way to Ravenswood Manor. Travelling from Louisiana to Texas was longer than expected. Hilary had fallen asleep in the car as Zeke had been driving for the past six hours. But eventually, Zeke found his ancestral manor, hidden in the middle of Texas, looming over the ghost town of Thunder Mesa, like a god being praised by his worshippers.

The car grinded to a stop, and Zeke stepped out of it, followed by Hilary. Zeke looked up at the ramshackle house, looking unimpressed.

"Nice place," he said sarcastically.

"Looks like it's been abandoned for years," said Hilary.

"Come on, let's go see if there are real ghosts in there," said Zeke and stepped forward through the open gate.

Neither of them saw the demonic face of a dark creature built onto the bronze plaque on one of the walls. It seemed to create some sort of terrifying atmosphere, which caused birds to take off into the sky. The two walked along the cobblestone path, past the vine-covered gazebo and crumbling garden pavilion. As Zeke walked on, Hilary halted in her footsteps, listening to the whistle of the wind. To Hilary is sounded like there was a horrible melody of moans and groans, roars and screams, travelling through the channel of wind. As if the wind was warning Hilary, not to enter the forsaken house.

Zeke walked around the house's catwalk, heading for the sealed front doors. He heard several ominous sounds emanating from the manor's environs, like a baying of a dog, a squawking of a raven and what sounded like…singing?

Zeke turned to Hilary who stepped up beside him. Zeke knocked on the front doors, as the door knocker was broken and there was no doorbell. The doors suddenly opened by themselves.

The two entered in, Hilary looking a bit shocked. They were in a dimly-lit foyer. Wooden panelling was built on top of the peeling wallpaper. A cobwebbed chandelier hung from the ceiling. Hanging from the walls were two gloomy mirrors. One sat normally on the wall, dressed in a brown frame. The second was round, covered by red draperies. Hilary curiously approached the mysterious mirror and stared into its foggy recesses. She started flicking hair out of his face.

"This is not time to be checking your hairstyle, Hilary," said Zeke, rolling his eyes.

"I saw you checking your hair last night in the bathroom," said Hilary, causing Zeke to blush slightly.

Hilary chuckled and then turned back to look into the mirror, but what was reflecting in the mirror made her leap back in fright. Replacing Hilary's face was a beautiful young woman with long curled hair. She seemed to look sad and as soon as Hilary blinked, the face was gone and replaced by her own.

"That was weird…" said Hilary.

"What was?" asked Zeke, appearing beside his daughter.

"I though I saw a woman with brown hair staring at me in the mirror," said Hilary, pointing to the empty mirror.

"You were looking at yourself, as you are very beautiful," said Zeke, pulling his daughter in for a hug.

"Dad, stop it," said Hilary.

Suddenly, a harsh wind blew into the room and the front doors, which Zeke had closed behind him, creaked noisily. The lit lights on the chandelier flickered and weird shadows on the walls made odd shapes. Then from the corners of the room, a cold voice boomed out.

"You, you who have dared disturbing the serenity of this place. You must have a lot of courage to step through the door of this house," said the eerie voice.

"Thanks, I guess…" said Zeke. "But who are you?"

"Come on, don't make me beg you. Come in! What are you waiting for? Don't be frightened, you've come this far already. Step into the plain light so I can see you a bit! You have nothing to fear, my dear friends," continued the voice.

"Just one second! Who are you?" shouted Zeke.

"Come on, come in, I have so many things for you to discover. Including my identity…" said the voice and the room went silent.

"What was that all about?" asked Hilary nervously.

"It's probably some criminal using a megaphone to creep us out. But it won't work on us!" said Zeke.

Suddenly, a recessed panel in the wall slid back… back… and back, until it created a door, revealing a new room shrouded in flickering darkness.

Zeke took his daughter firmly by the hand, and led her into the next room.

* * *

The new strange chamber was tall and large. It was octagonal shaped and eight walls towered up to the ceiling above. Sixteen rusted bronze gargoyles perched on a shelf that ran around the top of the room, leering down at the two mortals, each wielding to dripping candles. The light from the candles revealed four large paintings, each of a young woman with red hair. One portrait showed the woman picking roses from a bush; another viewed her treading through a deep stream; a third of the woman holding a parasol; and a final painting of the woman sitting with a man wearing a cowboy hat on a picnic blanket.

The voice of the man spoke up again.

"Our tour begins here, in this gallery, where you can admire the softness and innocence of youth," said the voice.

"These paintings would make my art teacher faint," said Hilary. "They're amazing!"

"You're telling me, Hil, but there is something about them," said Zeke, examining each painting carefully.

But then, just as Zeke spoke those words, something odd and supernatural happened. The walls seemed to stretch, the ceiling and gargoyles getting higher and higher. Either it was the ceiling rising or the floor was lowering, but it appeared that the gallery was stretching, and so were the paintings. Each one revealed a terrifying fate to the woman, including a zombie reaching out to grab her, her in a boat about to plunge down a waterfall, about to be attacked by some sort of water demon, and the painting with her and the man, showed that an army of ants, spiders and snakes were crawling and slithering to their presence.

"Dad! What is happening?" said Hilary, hugging her dad for protection.

"I have no idea," said Zeke, trying to show a brave face.

"Alas, things aren't always what they seem. This room's walls, for example, maybe don't really stretch? And as you can see there is no door and no window. What a frightening problem to solve… where is the way out?" said the voice.

The room suddenly went pitch black, as a strong wind had blown the candles out. The voice of the man suddenly bellowed with laughter, evil laughter that is.

"I am afraid you're _bound _to follow me!"

Then the ceiling in the gallery started to glow and disappear. Zeke and Hilary could now see the manor's distant attic, which seemed like miles away. A shadowy figure dressed in a billowing cloak and a top hat stood on a wooden beam, laughing maniacally as lightning flashed overhead. Then Hilary let out a scream, as she spotted a swinging corpse hanging from a rafter. The corpse was clad in a shredded tuxedo. Zeke was petrified. Hilary was so terrified, she looked like she would fall unconscious at any moment. But then, suddenly the lights came back on and everything was back to normal.

The ceiling was back and the room was its original size, as were the paintings. Zeke looked about sharply, searching for any signs of the corpse or the laughing man.

Another panel suddenly slid open and Hilary was pushed out of the room by Zeke.

"Dad, I want to go home!" sobbed Hilary.

They were in a long dimly-lit corridor, which appeared to be another gallery. The walls were decorated with an assortment of mirrors and family portraits, all covered in ruling dust. There were five large pictures in the hallway. One of a knight with his noble steed, standing on a cliff. Another of a woman standing in some sort of temple. A third of a woman sitting on a sofa, and a fourth of a ship sailing elegantly across the ocean.

But as the two walked past each painting, they morphed into horrific situations, unknown to Zeke and Hilary.

At the end of the hall, was a large portrait, of a young woman with long curled red hair, dressed in a bridal gown which flowed beautifully across the floor. She smiled sweetly with red lips and her deep green eyes seemed to stare at Zeke and Hilary and follow them.

* * *

A large room came into view, kind of half sitting room and half hall. A grand staircase led up to the floor above. Zeke happened to notice a stern-looking bust perched on a shelf. Zeke looked at it for a moment and then looked about the room at the overstuffed chairs. When he glanced back at the bust, it had somehow physically turned and was staring right at Zeke. Zeke turned away, quite surprised.

"Where should we go?" asked Zeke to Hilary.

"I suggest you go upstairs," said a sudden voice.

Zeke and Hilary turned around and the two screamed. Striding towards them was a walking corpse, dressed in a yellowy shirt, a shredded brown cowboy vest, and a green hat that gamblers sometimes wore. He had hardly any flesh on his skull-like face and he had bloodshot green eyes. He grinned as he approached the two. Zeke was astonished as well as amazed, while Hilary just screamed.

"Howdy strangers," said the corpse in a western accent.

"I'm warning you! You take on more step, and I'll dislocate your jaw!" threatened Zeke, raising a fist.

"My jaw's already dislocated, partner," said the corpse. "Now what you be doin' in these parts?"

"I am Zeke Ravenswood, and I'm here to solve a case of this manor!" shouted Zeke, his fist still raised.

"Well isn't that swell. You got your self a pirdy daughter there, Mr. Ravenswood," said the corpse. "Name's Ezra. Stationmaster of the Thunder Mesa Railroad!"

"Uh-huh? This is my daughter Hilary," said Zeke, motioning to the quivering girl behind.

"T-t-thanks for the compliment, I-I-I-I think," said Hilary, who was scared silly.

"Your welcome missy," said Ezra and he suddenly reached in a pocket and pulled out a ripped train ticket. "You want a ticket?"

"Er… no thanks, Ezra," said Zeke and nervously shuffled toward the aging staircase with Hilary.

"Ah, come on! Nobody ever buys a ticket from me anymore!" cried Ezra. "Just because Ezra dead, after being run over by a steam train, nobody wants a ticket anymore!"

"We'll just be going now, bye bye!" said Hilary and she and Zeke raced up the stairs and disappeared.

"Oh, dagnabbit!" said Ezra sadly and he walked to a chair and sat in it, but his leg suddenly snapped off.

* * *

**Character Cards**

**The Phantom: **A mysterious villain who rules over the Phantom Manor. Able to shape-shift and having other such powers, The Phantom is dangerous as well as creepy. The Phantom killed Melanie's fiancé and hung him from the rafters. Nobody knows who The Phantom is. Some people say he is Melanie's father, and even Eric Plutocrat, Melanie's dead groom!

**Melanie Ravenswood: **Melanie is the daughter of Henry Ravenswood. She was ready to get married, but on the day of her wedding, her fiancé disappeared. From that moment, Melanie has searched the manor, in both life and afterlife, searching for her love. She has never taken off her wedding dress or dropped her bouquet, in case the groom appears. Melanie has a wonderful singing voice and her lonely melodies can be heard within the dark halls of the Phantom Manor.

**Ezra: **Ezra is a cheerful and dead stationmaster of the Thunder Mesa Railroad. Ezra tries to give out tickets to anybody, whether mortal or ghost. Ezra was sadly killed when the earthquake struck the town. He had stumbled out onto the crumbling station to help get passengers to safety, but he tripped and fell onto the rails, and at the same time, a runaway train collided with Ezra and killed him. Even when dead, Ezra likes company.


	3. Ghostly Goings On

Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom Manor, Walt Disney does. This fanfiction is dedicated to him and his great work.

Thankyou for your reviews, AW, and I still admire you work! Will the comics come out in England, cause that's were I am.

The character, Daisy the maid, is my own character. I've also given the Phantom Pianist an identity and a backstory, as well as other things in the attraction.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Ghostly Goings-On**

Zeke and Hilary, slightly shaken from their meet and greet with Ezra, entered a dark corridor. It was decorated with fine, but aged wallpaper, and what looked like an assortment of wedding decorations.

Zeke was in thought. His ancestor, Melanie, had been waiting in this old house for years, after The Phantom murdered her groom and hung him in the attic. But who was The Phantom?

The two walked passed a billowing curtain, as a window was open. But then, the silence was pierced by the beautiful melody of a singing woman. Then Zeke saw her standing in a curtained archway. There stood a young woman with long, flowing, red hair that was curled. She wore an old fashioned bridal gown. She smiled sweetly at the two mortals and her deep green eyes glistened. In her hand was a lighted candelabrum. It was Melanie Ravenswood, the lost bride. She bowed respectfully at Zeke and Hilary.

"It's her!" cried Zeke is astonishment, staring in awe at his ancestor.

"Who?" asked Hilary.

"Melanie, our ancestor," said Zeke and he bowed back at Melanie.

Melanie continued smiling and she suddenly disappeared into thin air. Zeke dashed to the spot where she had stood just a second ago.

"Where did she go?" he asked madly looking about.

"Hey dad, come look at this!" called Hilary from down the corridor.

Totally forgetting about Melanie, Zeke walked down the corridor, passing a dark sitting room and a dusty suit of armour, he found Hilary staring bewildered, into a doorway. He peered down the hallway beyond the door and discovered it was misty…and very, very long. In fact, the end was not visible, and the hallway seemed to stretch on forever. In the middle of the hallway floated a candelabrum, dancing in midair.

"This hallway is endless!" said Zeke, looking astonished.

"Let's hear it for Captain Obvious!" said Hilary sarcastically, then she looked down the corridor and went wide-eyed. "Dad, look!"

Zeke looked down the corridor, wondering what in the world his daughter was staring at. Then he saw, frozen in time, was Melanie. She held the candelabrum now, and appeared to be running from or to something. She seemed to fade in and out constantly, and then she disappeared for good.

"She looked like she was fleeing from something. The Phantom?" said Zeke.

"Or she might have been searching for her groom," said Hilary.

"Well, well. You could be my apprentice in my detective cases," said Zeke, making Hilary frown.

Then, without warning, the suit of armour abandoned its position and swung its sword. Zeke ducked, pulling Hilary with him. The knight took and step and was about to swing his axe again, when suddenly, a young girl, about 11 years of age appeared. She wore a maid's uniform and had blonde hair. She waved a feather duster in the knight's metallic face. A cloud of dust engulfed the knight's face and he started coughing loudly. The girl grabbed Zeke by the arm and pulled him and his daughter through a door and slammed it shut.

Zeke turned to the girl, panting heavily.

"Thankyou very much," he said. "If you hadn't appeared, then we would have been in pieces."

"My pleasure, sir," replied the maid. "I am Daisy."

"Nice to meet you. This is my daughter, Hilary and I am…" said Zeke, but was cut off when Daisy cried "I am honoured to meet you Captain Obvious!"

"Captain Obvious? I'm Zeke Ravenswood," said Zeke.

A faint tune of a piano unexpectedly filled the room. The three looked around for the source of the music. Hilary found it first. It appeared they were in a stately piano room, the back wall covered with a huge glass window, covered in dust and weeds which had crawled in through a crack in the glass. Amid the fading photographs hanging on the walls and a series of furniture, stood a large old piano, black as the night. A bunch of moldy flowers sat on top, as well as a photograph of Henry and Martha Ravenswood. An open music book sat on the piano, and the yellowed ivory keys were pressed down by an invisible pianist. An out-of-tune version of the Bridal March echoed across the room.

"Who is playing the piano?" asked Zeke.

"He is!" cried Hilary, looking stunned.

Zeke and Daisy followed Hilary's eyes and looked onto the shredded carpet. Bleeding across it was the shadow of a spectral pianist, the hands moving in unison with the piano keys.

"That's Jacques Schrillman," said Daisy.

"Who?" asked Zeke.

"Jacques Schrillman. He was a famous pianist born in Dakota. He moved down here to Thunder Mesa to be the local pianist, and eventually got to live in this manor. But during the night when he was playing the piano, two jealous music lovers attacked him and killed him on the spot!" explained Daisy.

"Why did they kill him?" asked Zeke.

"Who knows? Anyway, I suggest we move on. He doesn't like being interrupted," said Daisy.

Then, a black bird suddenly flew out of no where and perched on a music tuner. It was a raven, and a big one for that matter. It gazed at the three with glowing red eyes and it started squawking.

"Shoo! Be gone you fowl bird!" cried Daisy. The raven did not move, nor was it frightened by Daisy's screams. It just sat there and squawked continuously. Daisy then froze, her face going very pale.

"He's calling the Phantom!" cried Daisy.

"What?" asked Zeke in surprise.

"If the Phantom finds you here, he'll kill you!" sobbed Daisy. "Just like he did to me!"

"You mean you're a ghost?" said Hilary. Daisy frowned and nodded.

The raven suddenly took off and flew into Zeke's face. Zeke tried to scare the bird off, but he accidentally triggered a lever and he vanished through a trap door.

"Dad!" cried Hilary as he father disappeared.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine!" said Daisy and she grabbed Hilary by the arm and dragged through another door.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the knight burst in through the door and saw Hilary and Daisy disappear through the opposite. He angrily gave chase. As he ran out, the pianist stopped playing an annoyingly shook a fist at the knight, before starting to play again.

* * *

Zeke tumbled down a long tunnel, rolling over himself countless times, until he landed in a dark room. Wherever he was, he had no idea.

* * *

Hilary and Daisy dashed down a corridor, the knight gaining on them.

"Muhahahaha! There is no escape!" bellowed the knight, an axe in his hands.

"This place is horrible!" screamed Hilary as she and Daisy ran down a corridor, lined with doors that each were being banged on from the inside, as if poor guests at the manor were trapped within.

"I've lived in this place for years and it's grown on me!" replied Daisy, eyeing a pair of skeletal hands that were visible over the top of one door.

"It won't grow on me, if I die here!" said Hilary, as the two passed by a demonic-looking grandfather clock, a large 13 imprinted on the clock face and the minute hand spinning wildly backwards.

Then Daisy stopped and realised that there was no way out.

"We're trapped! Way to go Daisy!" said Hilary.

The knight started walking towards them, laughing evilly. The raven appeared and perched on top of the clock, which forever tolled midnight.

"I will make quick work of you, so my master does not!" laughed the knight, and was about to bring his axe down on the two girls, when Daisy grabbed Hilary and the two disappeared in midair. The knight looked about in shock and the raven flew up to the spot where the two girls had stood a second ago.

"Where are they?" shouted a sudden cold voice.

"They disappeared, master!" replied the knight.

"Well, find them! Otherwise, I shall destroy you!" replied the voice.

"Yes master," said the knight and he dashed back down the corridor. The raven took off and flew out of an open window.

"Hmmm… my descendant is more of a troublemaker than I thought," said the voice. "I will have to keep an eye on him."

* * *

**Character Cards**

**Daisy: **A young maid who is trapped in the Phantom Manor. She is only 11, but is very brave and good at making jokes. She seems to think Zeke is called Captain Obvious. Will she be of any help to Zeke and Hilary?

**Jacques Schrillman, The Phantom Pianist: **A famous pianist born in Dakota. He became the manor's music player and was very good at playing the Bridal March. But one night, he was murdered by two rival music lovers. His shadow now plays the piano for all eternity, until the manor is freed from the Phantom.


	4. Madame Leota's Flashback

Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom Manor. It is copyright to Disney. Several characters in this story are my own creations. I think you can guess which ones. And I've said it before and I'll say it again, I greatly admire Aquarain Wolf's work. By the way, when are you going to continue the sequel to your 1000 and 1001 Grim Grinning Ghost fic?

I have made Madame Leota's poem a bit longer.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Madame Leota's Flashback**

Zeke looked about him. He was a in a dark room, with pillars rising to the arch ceiling, topped by menacing griffin gargoyles. Draped curtains hung around the room, and Zeke to see yellow storm clouds slipping by the windows. At the centre of the room rested a dusty table covered by a web-like tablecloth. A series of tarot cards were scattered across the table's surface and in the middle of the table was a large misty crystal ball.

Zeke approached the ball wondering why it was misty within. As he stared into its depths, a woman's face suddenly appeared and stared back, causing Zeke to fall to the floor in shock.

The woman's head was pale and was ghostly. Her hair was wild and a purplish blue. Her eyes seemed distant and the green mist that swirled around her made her look very mysterious. She suddenly opened her mouth a flood of words spilt out.

"Goblins and ghoulies, creatures of fright! We summon you now, to dance through the night!" she cried.

The table suddenly floated up from the ground and danced about in midair.

"Spirits and phantoms on your proud stallions, escort the beautiful bride through the night!" she continued. "Warlocks and witches, answer this call, your presence is wanted… at this ghostly ball."

A strong wind blew into the room and Zeke blocked it with his hand.

"From midnight to the first day of light, we will waltz together with the ghastly elite," continued the woman, the green mist within the crystal ball spinning about like an imprisoned tornado.

"Evil lurks throughout this house, nothing can escape, neither bird nor mouse. The Phantom hides in the black, the clock's hands turn back!"

The final words the woman said caught Zeke's interest.

"Join the spirits now in nuptial doom! A ravishing bride, a vanishing groom!"

"Whoa, what was that?" asked Zeke.

The woman stopped her incantations and looked at Zeke.

"I said: Join the spirits now in nuptial doom! A ravishing bride! A vanishing groom!" replied the woman.

"Hmmm… interesting," said Zeke.

"You seek answers, Mr. Ravenswood," said the woman.

"Yes I do. Hang on, how do you know my name?" said Zeke.

"I know a lot more about you. I am Madame Leota, seer of all and voice to the spirits," said the woman.

"Pleasure. Now you said something about nuptial doom?" said Zeke. "But doesn't that mean that if Melanie and her groom got married, then the manor would have been in jeopardy?"

"That I cannot answer. I was once not in this ball you know. I was killed and imprisoned in this chamber by the Phantom!" said Madame Leota. "In this house once lived beauty, but on a wedding day there was a mutiny."

"Go on," said Zeke.

"A great evil named The Phantom was on the loose. He invaded the manor and hung Melanie's lover, by a noose. She wanders the halls, waiting for her love, not knowing he is hanging up above. The Phantom has cursed the house and town, now everything is old, decaying and brown," said Madame Leota.

"Can you please talk in normal English!" cried Zeke, looking a little frustrated.

"Look, this is how I speak!" shouted Madame Leota.

"Alright, you're coming with me!" cried Zeke and he approached Leota and picked up the crystal ball she was in.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!" shrieked Madame Leota as Zeke carried her towards a door.

"You're coming with me. We're gonna find some clues to solve this mystery!" said Zeke.

"Please don't drop me! I'm very fragile!" said Madame Leota, worringly looking at the ground.

* * *

The two found themselves on a balcony, which overlooked the once-magnificent ballroom of the Phantom Manor. Even though it was now decrepit and old, it still was magnificent in a way. It was dark in the ballroom, but Zeke could make out several objects including a long stretching dining table with a moldy wedding cake on it and a massive pipe organ built on the far left of the ballroom.

"Is this what happened on the wedding day?" asked Zeke to Leota.

"Allow me to show you. I have a gift of showing past events," said Madame Leota.

The ballroom was suddenly covered in a sepia-coloured tone. The ballroom was lit beautifully and was now amazing. The chandelier was lit with millions of candles and there was a loud, but wonderful tune from the pipe organ. The room was now full of socialising people. Not ghosts but living people. The moldy wedding cake on the dining table was now perfect. Guests were filing into the room via some doors, and servants were taking wedding presents from them and placing them in the expanding pile. Then, the room went quiet as the organist started playing the Bridal March and a beautiful voice echoed through the room. Coming down the staircase, dressed in an elegant dress was Melanie, a bouquet of roses in her hand.

An elderly woman wearing a large green hat stood up a placed her hands to her face, admiring Melanie's beauty.

"Oh, Melanie, you look wonderful!" cried the woman.

Melanie smiled as she made her way down the steps.

Zeke looked to Madame Leota.

"Can they see us?" he asked.

"No. They can neither see nor hear us," said Madame Leota. "Now watch."

As Melanie was about to reach the half-way step on the stairway, the lights on the chandelier all went out and a drunken man swinging precariously on the chandelier looked at it curiously. A sudden horrendous laughter erupted from the window and everyone gasped as they saw a mysterious figure dressed in a cloak and top hat materialised in a window.

"This wedding will not take place!" shouted the man and a spray of lightning bolts erupted from his hands and electrocuted everyone in the room, except Melanie.

Within seconds, the electricity vanished and everyone dropped dead. Melanie's grandmother fell to the floor, as did the ballroom dancers and anyone else standing. The drunken man fell from the chandelier and landed with a loud thud on the dining table, shattering plates and glasses. The organist slumped onto the organ keys. Melanie hurried down the stairs to her dead grandmother.

"No!" sobbed Melanie.

The man, who Zeke guessed was the Phantom laughing menacingly and then disappeared. There was a sudden flash of light and Zeke and Leota returned to present time. Madame Leota suddenly commanded Zeke to duck down. Zeke leapt downwards and nearly dropped Leota.

"Why are we hiding?" asked Zeke.

"The ghosts are materialising!" said Madame Leota.

She was right. All of a sudden, the ballroom was lit again and the wedding scene was right before Zeke's eyes. The Phantom stood in the shattered window, laughing evilly. Melanie stood on the staircase, tears rolling down her face, sang mournfully.

The dining table had shattered plates and overturned glasses scattered across it and the moldy wedding cake was untouched. Ghostly guests, including Melanie's grandmother sat at the table, socialising constantly, worried that they would be destroyed by the Phantom. An old lady ghost sat in an armchair by a fireplace, the hearth occupied with green flames. A happy-looking chap sat on the fireplace, his arm around a bust. A sea captain stood near the old lady, spontaneously looking about the room through his telescope. The drunken ghost swung precariously from the large chandelier, a cane hooked around the chandelier, so that he wouldn't fall.

Beside the table on the left, four ghostly couples swirled and twirled forever, not stopping to catch their breath. They waltzed to the organ, which played the same melody Melanie was singing. The organist crouched over the organ, his hair in a withering ponytail and he had a grim face. Millions of wraiths flew out of the organ's pipes and disappeared into midair.

"Come, let's get out of here. We must go to Melanie's boudoir," said Madame Leota.

Zeke took one quick glance at Melanie before dashing off into the darkness.

* * *

The two entered a fairly more beautiful room than any they'd encountered already. It was one of the few beautiful rooms left in the house. Green wallpaper with flower patterns surrounded the room and a fireplace burned with an orange glow. But a music box played the same tune that Zeke had heard in Melanie sing throughout the manor and from the organ.

Then, Zeke noticed a figure sitting before a large mirror that was misty, making it look like a giant skull. The figure was none other than Melanie, still in her wearing dress. But when Zeke looked at her face, he discovered that it was now aged and wrinkled.

"What happened?" asked Zeke and he placed Madame Leota on a table.

"She was only 21 when she was to be married, 35 years passed and Melanie aged," said Leota. "It was seconds after this moment that Melanie was surprised by the Phantom and she fled down to the wine cellar, but she tripped over and was stabbed by some crystal spires and she died."

"If the Phantom was here right now, I'd rip his head off!" shouted Zeke.

"Please…" spoke a soft voice.

Zeke looked over to Melanie, who was looking back at him. Her green eyes were flooded in tears.

"Please, discover who the Phantom is, so I can find my love," begged Melanie, extending a hand towards Zeke.

Zeke got to his knees and placed Melanie's aging hand between his and he stared determinedly into her eyes.

"I promise you, I will solve this mystery, break the curse and set you free!" said Zeke, sounding like a great statesmen giving out a speech that would go down in history.

Melanie sobbed joyfully and hugged Zeke, before unexpectedly dematerialising.

"Thankyou…" said Melanie, as she disappeared.

* * *

**Character Cards**

**Madame Leota: **A gypsy woman imprisoned within a crystal ball by the Phantom. She is a guide to Zeke throughout the remainder of the story and will help him uncover the truth and identity of the Phantom. She is fairly powerful and can make objects float or show past events in the manor.


	5. Secrets Uncovered

Disclaimer: Oh you know it by now!

This is going to be a darker chapter than the others so far.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Discovering Secrets **

Hilary and Daisy trudged through the misty overgrown garden of the manor. Daisy had somehow managed to teleport herself and Hilary out of the manor and into the garden. It was generally a garden any longer, as there were gravestones everywhere, as well as cramped crypts as well. Dead oak trees stood everywhere and the raven watched the two girls secretly, from a tree branch.

"How many people died in this insane asylum?" asked Hilary, staring at the millions of gravestones.

"999 exactly," said Daisy. "We have 750 here and 249 in Boot Hill, that's the manor's cemetery."

"And I thought this was the cemetery," said Hilary sarcastically.

Daisy suddenly halted and pushed Hilary behind a fat dead tree.

"What?" asked Hilary.

"The Phantom is over there, and he's carrying a glowing orb. We'll pounce on him and then find Captain Obvious!" said Daisy.

"Okay," said an unsure Hilary.

"Ready… now!" cried Daisy and she dashed across the garden and tackled the so called Phantom to the ground. "I've got him by the neck!"

"Ouch! Get of me, Daisy!" cried a gruff and familiar voice.

"Dad?" cried Hilary, running over to Daisy.

Indeed, on the ground was Zeke, Daisy sitting. Beside Zeke was Madame Leota in her glowing crystal ball.

"Oh, Captain Obvious, I didn't recognise you," said Daisy, getting off Zeke and helping him up.

"Who would in this mist. Where were you?" said Zeke.

"We got lost and the Daisy teleported us into this place," explained Hilary. "And who the hell is that?"

"Oh that's Madame Leota," said Zeke, picking the disembodied woman up.

"Not her dad! Him!" screamed Hilary, her face going very pale.

Everyone swung around and saw a cloaked figure standing over an open grave. He was dressed in a billowing purple cloak and a top hat. His face was hidden in the mist, but when a lightning bolt flew across the sky, his face was revealed: A fleshless skull with glowing yellow eyes.

"Oh my god! It's the Phantom!" screamed Daisy.

Hilary and Daisy screamed while Zeke gasped, backing away, still holding Madame Leota. For one thing because of the Phantom's terrifying nightmarish form, and the second was that on the gravestone, were the words **Mr. Henry Ravenswood**.

Beside the Phantom sat an equally scary bloodhound. It was undead and had leather-like skin stretched over its bones. It has glowing red eyes and its snarling sent a chill up Zeke's spine. The Phantom cackled madly.

"Run!" cried Zeke.

Hilary and Daisy took off like a shot, disappearing into the mist. Zeke tucked Madame Leota under an arm and dashed off after them. The Phantom watched them flee and revealed he was holding a shovel.

"Stop them Hellhound, I've got one or two spare graves left for them!" said the Phantom. His body started glowing green and he started morphing into a different form.

Hellhound took off after Zeke and the girls, and the Phantom disappeared.

* * *

The three tore across the garden-graveyard, Madame Leota screaming at Zeke, telling him to slow down and she was getting dizzy. But they couldn't slow down, as a crazed bloodhound with a horrible snarl. Suddenly Daisy spotted a tunnel leading underground and grabbing Hilary led her into it. But Hilary tripped on an exposed stone and tumbled into the tunnel with Daisy. Zeke grinded to a stop and saw grass flying. He looked at Madame Leota and placed her on the ground.

"Have you ever experienced pinball before?" he asked her.

"No," she replied.

"Well you're about to!" said Zeke and pushed Madame Leota down the tunnel after the girls. Leota screamed as she went rolling into the dark.

Zeke heard a growl and saw Hellhound's predatory shape leaping towards him. The next thing Zeke knew was a great pain in his arm. Hellhound had bitten him. Zeke kicked Hellhound away, before the canine to attack again and Zeke slowly stumbled into the tunnel.

* * *

Zeke landed with a thud. He was in a dark underground tunnel which appeared to be a catacomb, as there were millions of tombs and coffins everywhere.

"Dad! You're hurt!" cried Hilary, suddenly appearing beside her, Daisy on the other side.

"It's okay, I'm fine," said Zeke.

"But we're not!" cried Madame Leota.

The other three looked about them and discovered that the tombs were all slowly opening and a salvation army of grotesque skeletons, clad in stained clothing were clambering out of them.

"Now I know how Scooby Doo feels!" shouted Zeke and he picked up Madame Leota and led the girls through the catacombs. He passed a large coffin which was being pried open by a pair of yellowed bony hands.

"Let me out! Let me out!" cried the skeleton from within.

The corpses came wandering towards the group. Zeke grabbed the first thing he saw, a bone, and started smacking the corpses away like a swordsman. Skeletons were helping eachother out and a pair even started what looked like kissing, until an elderly corpse came out and slapped the female skeleton across the skull.

Suddenly, to ghostly miners appeared. One had a hole right through his stomach. One held a pickaxe, while the other wielded a shovel. They had aging faces and a green void floated about them. They swung their weapons at Zeke, but he dodged them and kicked the miners out of the way.

The group kept moving on, until they found some sort of musical number. Sitting on a rocky ledge were four marble busts, but they were alive and singing a catchy song, with a ghostly bang as a backup group.

_When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake, _

_Spooks come out for a swinging wake._

_Happy haunts materialise _

_And began to vocalise,_

_Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialise._

_Now don't close your eyes, and don't try to hide,_

_For a silly spook may sit by your side._

_Shrouded in a daft disguise,_

_They pretend to terrorise._

_Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialise._

_As the moon climbs high o'er the dead oak tree,_

_Spooks arrive for the midnight spree._

_Creepy creeps with eerie eyes,_

_Start to shriek and harmonise._

_Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialise._

_When your hear the knell of a requiem bell,_

_Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell._

_Restless bones etherialise,_

_Rises as spooks of every size._

_Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialise!_

The group let out a quick clap, as dead several skeletons hanging from the walls. But as they turned to leave, the busts sang final verse.

_If you would like to our jamboree_

_There's a simple rule that's compulsory:_

_Mortals pay a token fee!_

_Rest in peace, the hauntings free,_

_So hurry back, we would like your company…_

"Okay, that was weird!" said Hilary as the gang moved on.

They quickly passed a skeleton who sat cross-legged on a rock, a line of skulls in front of them. He was tapping them with bones, as it he was playing a xylophone.

* * *

The group soon saw light and Zeke led the way towards it. Passing through the mouth of a cave, hidden between the roots of a great tree, Zeke the girls and Madame Leota emerged. They were outside the Phantom Manor, actually free from it. Zeke saw his car in the distance. He had a good mind to grab Hilary, leap in the car and drive away and never return, but he had promised Melanie he'd free her.

Zeke then noticed light in the abandoned Thunder Mesa ghost town and heard gunfire and the faint sound of a honky-tonk piano.

"Come on, maybe we can find help down in the town," said Zeke and bravely led the small party down towards the ghost town.

* * *

The sky was a ghoulish yellow and purplish storm clouds floated overhead. All of the buildings were ramshackled and broken. The group passed by what looked like a ruined train station and on a visible unused railroad was a crashed hearse, and unlimited ghosts were rising from it and disappearing into thin air. A group of phantasmal cowboys flew overhead, on ghost horses, swinging lassos and hats about.

Then, Zeke saw a ticket booth, with a swaying green lantern attached to the ramshackled building. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in the booth. It was Ezra.

Zeke was frightened by Ezra before, and had no had a very good look at the dead stationmaster. He was a skinny skeletal man in a shredded white shirt and brown waistcoat. He also wore shredded trousers a green cap. Ezra immediately recognised Zeke.

"Howdy partners! Need a ticket?" said Ezra cheerfully, holding a ticket out to Zeke.

"No thanks Ezra," said Zeke.

Ezra got out of his booth and wandered up to Zeke.

"Oh come on! Please!" begged Ezra.

"No!" shouted Zeke and he wandered off into the town, Ezra wandering after him and the girls.

They passed a crumbling town hall with a WELCOME banner across the room. Standing before the hall was a portly bearded man dressed in red and black.

"That's Mayor Callaway," said Daisy. "He was the town's mayor and he actually still is."

"Ah, there you are!" cried Mayor Callaway, spotting the mortals, ghosts and corpse.

"He was expecting us?" asked Hilary.

"You got me," said Daisy.

"Welcome foolish mortals, there is no going back now. We fight it delightfully unliveable here in this ghostly retreat! Actually, we have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for a thousand. Any volunteers, hmmm?" said Mayor Callaway.

He wielded the key to the city in his right hand and he went to tip his hat to the group, but his head went off as well. Zeke pushed the girls on and Hilary looked very unwell.

The group then passed by what looked like a ramshackled bank.

"Ah, the Woodchip Bank, Thunder Mesa's first official bank," said Ezra.

Suddenly, there was a sudden explosion and a wall of the bank was blasted outwards. A smoke rose into the air and out of the hole in the bank stepped out a masked bandit, pulling a stubborn skeletal mule with him, a pile of moneybags loaded onto its back.

"Come on Mortecai ya stubborn mule!" cried the bandit, pulling on his donkey's reigns, but Mortecai would have no part of it.

"Stop fiend!" cried a sheriff who appeared out of no where.

A supernatural duel began with ectoplasmic bullets flying everywhere. Zeke dashed forward with the girls and Ezra in tow.

Nearby, under the looming shadow of Big Thunder Mountain, stood a pharmacy. Within the building was a green-faced pharmacist. He lifted up a bottle of green liquid and drank. His face suddenly distorted and then turned back to normal.

"Hmmm… needs more eel saliva," said the pharmacist.

The local saloon was no go grand as it was before. In a back room, a man played a tune on the honky-tonk piano which sounded incredibly familiar to Zeke. Standing in the doorway was a showgirl, kicking her legs up to the music. The front wall had collapsed onto the street and within was a bar with a bartender cleaning mugs.

Opposite the saloon was a casino and within was a group of invisible gamblers, playing poker. One of them was gambling some roadkill and someone's severed head.

* * *

But out of town, the yellowish sky turned from orange to red. Zeke heard the squawking of the raven and the howling of a dog. Zeke then gasped and stopped the group. Standing under a dead tree, was the Phantom, although he had undergone a transformation. His cloak and clothes were shredded and decaying, and his hat long gone. His skull was now replaced by a moldy face. He was now a horrible disfigured corpse, laughing menacingly. On a tree branch was the raven, and beside the Phantom was Hellhound, the knight, and yet another open grave.

"I have finally caught up with you!" laughed the Phantom.

"What do you want Phantom… or should I say… Henry Ravenswood!" cried Zeke, making everyone gasp.

The Phantom's expression suddenly changed into a smirk.

"Hmhmhmhm! Well done, my foolish descendant. You have found me out," said the Phantom.

"Why did you do it?" asked Zeke angrily.

"Because my daughter would not listen. She had everything in the world, but she was going to throw it away for love. I did warn her it would end badly," explained the Phantom. "But I died with my pathetic wife when that earthquake struck the canyon and I couldn't stop Melanie from being with that Eric lad."

"But you somehow managed to reincarnate yourself and you hung Eric on the wedding day, then killed all the others in the manor including your own mother!" said Zeke.

"And me!" snapped Madame Leota.

"Ditto!" added Daisy.

"He didn't kill me but I'll agree with you," said Ezra.

"I did it all for Melanie! I love her, and I'm doing this for her own protection," said the Phantom. "That's why I have imprisoned her in the mines!"

"You did what!" cried Zeke.

"Help! Help me!" the voice of Melanie cried from within the mines.

"You'll never get away with this!" shouted Zeke.

"Haha! Who's going to stop me? A pair of mortals, a helpless girl, a woman stuck in a ball and an idiotic zombie?" asked the Phantom.

"Say what!" said Ezra angrily.

Zeke pushed past the Phantom and raced into a dark hole carved in the rock face. Daisy and Hilary followed and Ezra last, carrying Madame Leota in his arms.

"Follow them," said the Phantom and the knight, raven and Hellhound slinked into the darkness of the entrance to the mines.

The Phantom smirked and started to disappear, his bloodshot eyes glowing.

"They'll never get out of there alive…or dead!" cackled the Phantom and he vanished.

* * *

**Character Cards**

**Mayor Callaway: **The former and now deceased mayor of Thunder Mesa. He survived the earthquake that struck the town, but his wife was lost. He attempted to rebuild the city hall with help from the remaining townsfolk but they refused to help as they had to rebuild their own lives. The mayor stuck up a welcome banner, and then he heard the sound of galloping. Believing it was someone to come and help he tipped his hat to them. But the visitor was a bandit armed with a sword. He swung the sword and decapitated Callaway.

**The Pharmacist: **The Pharmacist was Thunder Mesa's doctor. He wasn't very skilled in his medical life, and he died after drinking a poisonous formula he made which was to heal a man's illness. He now tries to create a perfect formula, but from drinking all of those potions, his face has gone green.

**The Bank Heist: **Bandit Deadeye was the town's number one villain. He stole jewels, money and even animals. Deadeye one day broke into the Woodchip Bank to steal some money, with his mule named Mordecai. He blew a wall out and tried to make his escape. Sheriff Wyatt appeared on the scene and hid behind a lamppost. The two fought in the middle of the street in a duel. Deadeye killed Wyatt with a wrong-directed bullet, which shot the lamppost which fell over and crushed Wyatt. Wyatt was then crushed by Mordecai who fell over from the heavy weight of the money loaded onto his back. The Angel of Death resurrected the two as ghosts but the Phantom interrupted the process and caused the bank heist to repeat itself in a loop forever.


	6. Dark Demise

Disclaimer: The Phantom Manor is owned by Walt Disney. Bla bla bla, yakadesmackadee!

**Chapter 6: Dark Demise**

Zeke led the way through the dark mines of Thunder Mesa, using Madame Leota has a light source. He knew Melanie was wandering the mines somewhere. There were many different tunnels leading off and around the group.

"Which way do we go and how do we know if Melanie is going to believe us that her father is the Phantom?" asked Hilary.

"Hilary! What do I look like? A super computer?" snapped Zeke.

"This is no time for arguments!" screamed Madame Leota. "We must find Melanie and also escape those guys in the process!"

Zeke turned around and saw Hellhound, the knight and the two miners from the catacombs come running down the tunnel.

Zeke quickly grabbed Daisy and Hilary and loaded them into a mine cart, and dropped Madame Leota in beside them. Ezra and Zeke got behind the mine cart and started pushing it down a railroad. The two jumped in at the last moment. The mine cart went speeding down a track.

"Hang on!" cried Daisy.

"With what?" asked Madame Leota as the mine cart rocketed down a track.

Zeke looked behind them saw a pursuing mine cart that contained their chasers.

"We've got company!" he cried and everyone looked behind, except Daisy.

"Uh-oh!" she said.

"What?" asked Hilary and looked forward.

Ahead of them was a large cavern with a crazed railroad that contained loops and corkscrews. Madame Leota's green face turned a ghostly white.

"I think I wet myself!" she said.

The mine cart went on a rollercoaster of a ride, speeding around the cavern like a rocket. The pursuing mine cart was having a rough time. As Zeke's cart and the villains' cart dashed around a sharp turn, Zeke saw the two undead miners go flying out of the cart and disappeared into the darkness below, leaving their pickaxes behind. The two carts suddenly dropped down a sharp drop and the villains' cart collided with Zeke's cart, allowing Hellhound to leap across to attack. Zeke picked up a rock and lobbed it at Hellhound. It hit Hellhound on the snout, causing the dog to tumble back into his cart.

The two carts started travelling down a tunnel in a straight line, the two carts inches apart. Ezra suddenly appeared in front of Zeke, holding a lit stick of dynamite.

"Hey look what I found," Ezra said cheerfully.

"AHHHH! Get rid of it!" shouted Zeke and seizing the dynamite from Ezra, looked about for a safe place to throw it. He got his answer in Hellhound.

"Here boy, do you want this stick?" asked Zeke to Hellhound, who leapt up playfully, his green tongue hanging out. "Fetch!"

Zeke tossed the dynamite to the dog and he caught it. Hellhound chewed on it, then realised what it was, his ears drooping. The cart exploded and parts of the knight went flying in all directions, Hellhound exploded to pieces. The knight's helmet roll across the ground until it stopped.

"Oh, darn it!" he cried.

Now without a pursuer, Zeke slowed the mine cart to a slow pace until it halted completely. Ezra, Hilary and Daisy slowly stepped out of the mine cart, looking rather dizzy. Zeke unloaded Madame Leota into Ezra's arms, and saw that the gypsy's green eyes were spinning wildly.

"What a ride!" said Ezra. "Who's up for round two?"

The others stared at him overwhelmed with exhaustion. Then a faint and familiar melody sneaked into the ears of the five. It was low in tone and distance but it was lonely, sad and sounded like a melody that would be played at a burial march. Then it dawned on Zeke what the melody was coming from.

"Melanie!" he cried in alarm and completely becoming oblivious to his daughter and spiritual friends, he took off down the mine tunnel on foot.

"Dad, wait up!" cried Hilary and took off after her father, Daisy not far behind.

Madame Leota watched the man and two girls disappear into the shadows and looked up at Ezra who was staring dumbly at her.

"Move it, train boy!" commanded Madame Leota.

"Hi! Do you want a ticket?" asked Ezra.

"Were you born stupid?" asked Madame Leota, glaring unamused up at the zombie that held her.

"Er…" said Ezra, scratching his head with one hand.

"Dah! Ezra you're as dumb as a rock!" screamed Madame Leota, getting steamed.

"Oh, yeah! Metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary! Ha, those are the three types of rocks!" said Ezra.

"You don't start following them then I'll slap you silly!" hissed Madame Leota.

"Yes, ma'am!" whimpered Ezra and he took off after the others, not hearing Leota chuckle and say "Sucker!"

* * *

Melanie's beautiful but heartbreaking melody was much, much louder and Zeke entered a large catacomb full of shining crystals that were wedged in the floor, walls and ceiling of the cave. Hilary and Daisy caught up to Zeke and Ezra came about a minute later, with Madame Leota in his arms, panting heavily. Melanie's singing was quite clear and a harsh breeze of wind blew through the air.

Zeke then turned his head to the right and jumped out of his skin. Hilary looked around to see what her father had jumped at, and her mouth dropped. Pierced by some sharp crystals, radiating a bright supernatural glow, hovered the corpse of Melanie, a finger extended out to an exit. Zeke fell to his knees in despair.

"We're too late!" said Zeke.

"Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Yes, you are!" cackled an evil voice that boomed out of the cave walls, making the crystals imbedded in the rocks rattle.

Zeke with tearful eyes full of anger and hatred, stood up to face his foe: The Phantom. He watched as his undead ancestor emerged from the darkness, his eyes wild.

"You…" said Zeke coldly, causing the Phantom to look at him oddly. "You sick twisted little wretch! I'm gonna kill you!"

Zeke dashed at the Phantom like a fox attacking an unsuspecting chicken. The Phantom smirked and disappeared in a cloud of mist. Zeke didn't see this coming and failed to slow down and ended up the running into a wall. He heard the others cry "Oooh!" as he collided with the rock hard surface.

The Phantom reappeared, his eyes burning with the seven sins. Zeke finally managed to get a good look at the living nightmare that stood before him. The Phantom had a horrible disfigured, rotting face with leering burning eyes that was enough to make Superman turn coward. He was mostly bald, but had several small grey hairs visible on his greenish head. He wore a flowing purple cloak with a matching purple and red cape, both were shredded and torn. Visible underneath his cloak was a purple shirt with a pair of purple trousers to match, both shredded as well. He wore black gloves, a pair of dusty shoes, one of which had a hole in it, and a huge scar ran down the left cheek of the Phantom's face.

"You cannot kill what is already dead!" chortled the Phantom and produced a razor-sharp sword and stabbed Zeke in the chest.

Zeke did a double take, his eye watery. Blood flooded out of where the sword pierced his bloodstream.

"NO!" screamed Hilary.

All Hilary could do was watch her father tumble over, and not get back up, remaining motionless. Hilary fell to her knees and sobbed loudly. Daisy was in tears too and Ezra looked as horrified as his face. Madame Leota screamed something that sound like gibberish and suddenly levitated in midair and flew at the Phantom like a rocket-powered football. She cried something else that sounded like Latin and blasted a powerful green energy blast from her orb. The Phantom lifted his sword and somehow absorbed Leota's attack.

"You're next, gypsy," said the Phantom and with a swift slash off his sword, he ripped apart Madame Leota's crystal ball, shattering it to pieces, but Madame Leota had disappeared into thin air.

"Where'd she go?" cried Ezra.

"It does not matter! Melanie will soon be forever mine!" said the Phantom and he laughed maniacally, his dark shadow looming over Hilary, Daisy and Ezra.

**To be continued…**

* * *

Sorry for the very long delay. No character file in this chapter, as Henry Ravenswood's character will be revealed in an upcoming chapter.

Happy New Year!


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